Monster Trucks

Love them or hate them, monster trucks have brutally stomped and crushed their way into their own niche in pop culture drawing massive crowds to arenas and stadiums all over North America who cheer with glee at their ability to destroy helpless cars.

In the beginning they had steel bodies, leaf-spring packs large enough to support the weight of a battleship, and lots of chrome. They crushed cars slowly, with their massive weight doing the work of flattening the cars.

Nowadays they are all high-tech, fast, agile, and impressive. Now they fly over cars with ease.

On Sunday afternoon the Monster Spectacular rolls over the coliseum featuring competition between some of the biggest names, and hugest trucks out there. The Iron Outlaw, Bounty Hunter and others will take on Monster Spectacular reigning world champion, Black Stallion.

Monster truck shows are the professional wrestling matches of the automotive world.

Jimmy Creten drives Bounty Hunter, and also owns the Iron Outlaw.

"I've been doing this since 1995, so about 14 years," says Jimmy. "I always tell people I got into this through stupidity, I was a four wheel drive enthusiast and I mud raced, then I bought one as a hobby. After that I lost my job as an engineer for Colgate-Palmolive and made my hobby my career."

"Now we are one of the busiest teams in the business," Jimmy muses. "We do 50 shows a year, a show every weekend. Then we take the big tires off and put little tires on them and drive them in a semi trailer to the next show."

"I love to travel and see different cultures, see how the French culture influences things. But it is hard on the family too; when we finish in Moncton we are going to Windsor, then I am catching a plane home to see the family," says Jimmy.

If you have never seen one, a monster truck is an automobile, typically styled after pickup trucks, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension.

It all took off in the 1970s when modified pickup trucks were becoming popular and the sports of mud bogging and truck pulling were gaining in popularity. Several truck owners had created lifted trucks to compete in such events, and soon competition to hold the title of "biggest truck" developed.

In 1981, Michael Vaters bought a black 1982 Ford F250 at a local dealership. At that time, a lift kit wasn't available for this truck so he designed and built one. He added 40 inch tires which had recently became available. He named his black Ford "Black Stallion."

It didn't end there. One year later Mike had transformed his street truck the Black Stallion. It boasted a 12' suspension lift with 44" tires. Mike designed and built rear steering and it crab-walked down his hometown streets.

Michael not only drove his truck on the streets he mud-bogged in it one weekend and would spend the entire week cleaning it to enter a show and shine competition the next weekend typically winning first place or best in show. In 1983 Mike drove the Black Stallion over 500 miles to Indianapolis Indiana for the Jamboree and won runner up for the "best engineered truck."

These trucks can run up and over most man-made barriers, which usually means they can crush other cars under their tires as well. For competition there are either timed race events or regular single elimination races with two drivers on the track at once.

"I guess we think of ourselves as paid motor sports entertainment," says Jimmy. "We are paid to put on a show for people, but the show entails a competition, and obviously we didn't come all this way to lose."

In recent years they have begun to add a "freestyle" event at the end of the show. If you are creative enough you can think of this as figure skating with giant trucks. Drivers are free to select their own course around the track and its obstacles. Drivers will often try 'Donuts', wheel-stands and jumps during this segment. Additional items for the drivers to crush -- usually including a motor home -- are frequently placed on the track specifically for the freestyle event. Other obstacles sometimes placed on the track include school buses and small airplanes.

"The popularity over the last 5 years has exploded, they see it on television; Speedvision has two shows a day. So the fans see us doing the big shows and the world finals and want to come meet us in person," says Jimmy.

"Well, I guess they really come to see us make those trucks dance on edge, or catch some air, or to make 15,000-horsepower engines in 10,000-pound trucks dance in a hockey rink," laughs Jimmy.

Monster Spectacular is known for putting on one of the best dome shows in Canada. Fans get an opportunity to meet the drivers and get a chance to see the trucks up close. But the real fun starts with the races and a chance to watch drivers roll over as many as five cars before crossing the finish line.

"I've done Moncton the last two years and the trucks that we bring to town here are very good, we put on a good show in Moncton. The fans always get a good show and it keeps them coming back," Jimmy said.

Taken From CanadaEast.com

Cadillac Escalade vs. Monster Truck

The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is most at home in the hills of Hollywood, California, or cruising next to South Beach in Miami, Florida.

It is a big luxurious SUV with twenty-two-inch wheels, leather everything, and a gas and electric engine.

So how will this biggest and most luxurious of American SUVs do when it is pushed beyond what it was originally designed to do?

To find out, I raced it against a monster truck — a remote control Traxxas T-Maxx monster truck, to be exact.

The challenge was a simple: to see which car would do better tackling the rough and tough mountains and dirt roads of Colorado.

To find out just watch the video below to see which car won the challenge.And as a bonus take a look at the new off road sport we created in the process:

To read more of Roman Mica's car reviews and other automotive news, visit: thefirstlemming.com.

Taken From TheWeeklyDriver.com

4x4 Truck Winch Tips & Tricks - Spool School More Neat Winch Tricks

More Neat Winch Tricks

By Fred Williams

During any recovery there should be only one captain, especially if multiple winches are being run at the same time. This guy tells each controller when to winch, winch out, or stop.

Other than knobby tires, nothing says "I'm an off-road adventurer" like a winch on the front of your 4x4. But winches aren't just for looking good. A winch is a great tool for extracting yourself, your buddies, or those old shrubs from the front yard your wife has been harassing you about removing.

But like any tool, there's a right way and a wrong way to use a winch. We always think we've seen just about every conceivable winch maneuver, but every couple of trail rides we come across something we didn't think would work.

Here are some tips and tricks for using your winch. If you've got some crazy winch repair or recovery that we must see, send us a picture. Until then keep those fingers out of the spool, and may your motor never fry.

1. The first rule of winching is to choose the right winch. We like the rule of 11/2, which means the winch rating should be at least 11/2 times the curb weight of your vehicle. If your Jeep weighs 5,000 pounds, you need at least a 7,500-pound-rated winch.

Of course, more is usually better, but with strength comes weight. This monster Jeep is almost over the load limit of this 8,000-pound-rated Warn 8274 and should be upgraded, but this iconic spur-gear winch has worked flawlessly so far.

2. The next choice is between rope and cable. Winch rope is lighter, just as strong, and readily available, while winch cable is cheaper, more abrasion-proof, and extremely resilient to mud and sand. Though winch rope is less likely than cable to damage when bunched up on the spool, it does need to be protected from UV rays, as the sun can deteriorate the rope over time.

3. When installing your winch it is important to follow the wiring instructions and always run both the positive and negative wires to the battery itself.

Oftentimes off-roaders simply run the negative to the chassis, but if there are any shorts or weak grounds, this can reduce the pulling power and the life of the winch. If need be, upgrade your wire size and length to get the leads straight to the big battery terminals.

4. Another important winch requirement is the mounting system. There's no use having a winch if it's going to rip your bumper off. This truck has a massive front bumper that is solidly attached to the frame, and then the winch is hidden inside for protection from both trail abuse and thieves. Check the installation instructions for proper mounting direction; some winches have forward mounting bolts and others have them on the bottom.

5. Here is something you don't see every day in the USA, a winch with dual motors. In Europe and Australia, there are many long-range endurance competitions that have timed hillclimbs, and competitors have upgraded their winches for even more winch line and faster line speeds.

This type of speed winching isn't required for your average trail ride. The big orange thing is an ARB winch line weight. It easily Velcros over the winch line and would safely drop the cable or rope to the ground should it break under load.

6. One trend we've seen a lot of recently is using the front winch to help compress the front suspension. This is done by running the rope or cable straight down from the drum to an attachment point on the front axle.

This is especially helpful when climbing up steep obstacles, as it helps lower the center of gravity and keeps the front end from unloading and pushing the chassis backward off the climb. Just be sure you loosen up the winch before hitting any high-speed trails where you need the suspension to move.

7. No matter how skilled the driver or capable the vehicle, there is no shame in hooking up a cable before attempting a climb that might send you backward on your lid. It also helps to have a spotter that can direct you and run the winch at the same time.

Winches are great at pulling trucks up difficult climbs, but it's a good idea to drive and winch simultaneously to help the winch out.

8. Here is another trick we saw overseas and that we are surprised hasn't shown up in the U.S. This truck has its winch mounted behind the cab, with a series of pulleys and guides on the passenger-side framerail that routes the winch rope up to the front of the truck.

This serves three functions: It increases the approach angle since the winch and bumper aren't sitting out on the front of the truck, it balances the weight of the winch between the front and the back of the vehicle, and it allows the driver to engage or disengage the winch freespool from his seat while his co-pilot hooks up the cable.

9. It is important to put something over the winch cable in case it should break or come unhooked under load. There are special winch line weights, or you can use a tow strap, a floor mat, or a jacket to drag the line to the ground in the event of an unhooking.

It is important that bystanders stand back behind vehicles. It also doesn't hurt to raise the hood of the winching vehicle just in case the hook comes flying back toward the winch.

10. Be sure to rig your attachment point properly. Use a tree strap to protect the bark of a tree. When you put the strap around the tree or rock, hook both ends of the strap to the hook on the end of the winch line.

This way the strap won't tighten like a noose around the tree and damage the bark. If possible, use a clevis to hold the tree strap ends together and/or a hook with a closing latch that keeps it all from unhooking while you winch yourself forward. If you use winch rope be sure you have a sleeve that protects it from rock abrasion.

11. No matter how much of a superman you are, we do not recommend this as a win

Taken From 4WheelOffRoad.com

How to Make Money With My Truck - Now, Your Gas-Guzzler Can Come in Handy!

Thus far, you would have treated your truck as a gas-guzzler. And guzzlers they are, consuming every inch of gasoline, burning a serious hole in your pocket. But what if you knew the methods to make money with your truck, trust you would jump on those ideas.

After all, who wants a Non-Performing Asset anyway! And yes, for all such truck-owners, here are some tried, tested and perfectly legit ways of making money. How to make money with my truck - Here are some answers.

For your benefit, here they are!

• Offer your truck to be used to ship goods from the docks to supermarkets and retail stores. A lot of these stores get their shipments from overseas that land by the docks or the ports. You could make your truck a money-spinner. One trip to and from the dock would get you couple hundred dollars easily.

• Offer your truck to carry perishable foods to and from the supermarket. You could literally make your truck a moving vegetable store. Buy some vegetables from the supermarket and be on the wheels through your city.

People would be happy as they get their vegetables without a lot of fuss. Supermarkets would be happy as in spite of low footfall, they would be able to sell off their inventory. Of course, you get paid as well!

How to make money with your truck - Simple ideas often make the most of this concept! The ideas discussed above do not require your truck to be changed into an efficient gas-saving machine. All you have to do is to tailor your trucks accordingly. Most of this starts in the mind!

If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.

Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program.

Quickest-way-to-make-money-on-earth.com

Finding Low Cost Truck Insurance

Trucks are excellent for loading and moving stuff but aren't so nice when it comes to insurance rates because in general it costs more to have a truck insured versus a car. Why is truck insurance more costly, and how can you get low cost truck insurance?

Truck insurance cost more because of a few reasons:

* Drivers of trucks, semi's, tractor trailers, big rigs normally don't possess safe driving histories. So, although you may have no history of accident or tickets you are commended for that and please get a good rate on your auto too. You're still a piece of the puzzle that will be paying for the errors of other truck drivers.

* A second reason is that trucks cost more than cars, especially repairs, so naturally the insurance costs will be relative, For example, if your truck is involved in an accident, the insurance company needs to repair it with new parts or replace your truck.

* When a big truck or heavyweight truck is involved in an accident, the vehicle with more weight tends to dish out more damage on smaller vehicles and more injuries to the passengers of those vehicles. If the cause of the accident is your fault, the insurance company will be required to pay and your rate will increase.

Searching for Low Cost Truck Insurance

The good news is that people are able to secure low cost truck insurance. Some people recommend if you can to buy the truck that has a good safety record and doesn't call attention to from thieves. For that data, you can find it online or ask your insurance agent.

Another way to save on truck insurance is by shopping online using various insurance companies. Truck insurance rates and quotes may vary state to state or from one insurance company to another, but you can easily get many quotes from top-tier insurance companies.

It is very simple, just go on the internet and browse to a truck insurance rate website and input your personal and business insurance information if required. The site will get you lined up based on your data with various insurance companies, which will then send you rates.

All you must do is OK them over and choose the best. You can also contact the agents nearest you using an insurance directory online.

Frank Collins is a contributor with Big Rig Truck Insurance carriers in your area.

Truck and Lorry Mounted Forklift

Truck mounted forklift trucks find vast applications in all major industries today. The usage of these trucks not only transportation of various industrial commodities a lot easier, but also ensures that all of this is done in a very time efficient manner.

Since the early days when a company by the name of Moffett-Kooi invented these trucks, there has been great improvement in their over all design and efficiency. These trucks no longer require the manual labour that was required initially while using forklift trucks. The truck mounted forklift trucks successfully overcome that hurdle and work in an independent manner.

Truck mounted forklift trucks are essentially a special design of the much used forklift trucks. These lorry mounted forklift trucks are ideally light weight so that they can be easily mounted on various smaller trucks; drop decks, and west coasts.

Also, a fundamental part of these mounted forklift truck is the high efficiency Sundstrand drive pump. The pump is known to give a highly efficient flow of 25gpm. The fixed leg model of the truck mounted forklift by KESMAC uses the efficient Poclain Hydrostatic Motor. The retractable leg model is also a good buy for a large number of varied purposes.

These trucks also come with enhanced usability and control options for the drivers. The ergonomic controls make sure that the operator of the truck gets added support for the entire controlling process.

These truck mounted forklift trucks have helped numerous businesses throughout the world to effectively manage their available space. The delivery process has also been greatly eased. The forklift that is mounted on these trucks is at times secured inside the bed of these trucks.

In general, the forklift is connected to the back of the truck. The mounting platform should essentially be at the height at which the forklift remains air borne and freely suspended. The forklift is secured using various chains, hooks, and latches in order to prevent a change in orientation of the forklift. The improvements in the truck mounted forklift trucks has revolutionised the heavy vehicles industry in the true sense.

James Watson writes for Pro Vehicles UK - a blog about professional and commercial vehicles.

Ford Body Kits: Give your F150 that Low-Rider Look

So you've got your two wheel drive truck, and you've been admiring the neighbors much lower version. You'd like to have your truck take on that low-rider look, but that has to be an expensive prospect. Doesn't it?

The simple truth is that lowering your F150 doesn't have to break your pocketbook. By starting with a simple body kit you get an instant lowered-look; at a price that makes getting started with a lower ride affordable. After your Ford body kit is installed you can leave your truck as is, or continue your custom job with rims, lowered suspension and more.

When it comes to customizing trucks though, choosing the right parts is more important than ever. To help you get started with that ultra-low ride we have put together this brief guide.

Choosing the Right Ford Body Kit Unlike body kits for cars, when you look at those available for your F150 you'll find kits meant for a lifted truck, kits meant for unmodified trucks, and kits that are built to give that lowered look.

In other words not only is there a huge selection of Ford body kits, there are F150 kits meant for different purposes. Understanding this is your first step in choosing the right kit.

With that in mind here are the steps you should take when choosing your body kit.

* Decide whether fiberglass or urethane is more appropriate for your driving style. In some ways this decision is a trade off. Urethane kits offer dent resistance and are able to recover from minor bumps. Fiberglass kits are more likely to break if you bump them, but unlike urethane kits, a fiberglass piece can be repaired once broken. In some cases this will actually be dictated by the brand of body kit that you choose.

* Next simply start browsing some body kits, like those on our own site, to see what style suits your truck, and get a better idea of what you want to add to your F150. The manufacturers listed on our site also have websites that can be great resources for pictures and information.

* After you choose your body kit, ensure that there aren't any other parts that you need. Does that rear bumper need a dual exhaust kit? Does the new front bumper have ports for fog lights that your truck doesn't have? Know what other parts you will need and order them along with your new body kit. After you have decided on the right kit for you get it painted and then put on.

Going Further with Your Lowered Look If you took your time and choose a body kit that works then you have just taken your first step in lowering your ride. Some suggested next steps, for that ultra-low truck include:

* A suspension lowering kit will take your truck even lower to the ground. * Larger rims with thinner tires will fill the wheel wells better and leave less space once you lowered your ride (big 22" chrome rims look good to)

* A spoiler can add to the look of a lowered truck.

* Whatever else you choose - the sky is the limit when it comes to customizing a truck. There are hundreds of aftermarket manufacturers that all have something to offer for your F150.

With your body kit installed one thing is certain. No longer will you have to sit and stare at the neighbor's truck. Keep going with your custom job, and soon he'll be drooling over your ride instead!

T. Walker is a staff writer for Andy's Auto Sports, a premier provider of auto parts for customizing your ride. Andy's carries a full range of body kits for many F150's and models of cars and trucks.